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I was reading Justin Vaughn's comments in the NZHerald about the appalling behaviour of AB fans at matches in Melbourne recently, he's the chief exec of NZ cricket and a Kiwi:
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I am a huge All Blacks fan - and a very proud Kiwi. The All Blacks did the country proud on Saturday evening, playing a great style of rugby at great pace, and they deserve all the praise they get for their performance.
But I was frankly embarrassed to be a New Zealander there that night, surrounded as I was by a good number of drunk, aggressive and obnoxious All Black supporters.
This may have just been bad luck - sitting next to the wrong people in the wrong part of the stadium - but I don't think this was the case.
From what I saw, a portion of the New Zealand contingent at the game were focused on consuming vast quantities of alcohol as rapidly as possible, as well as baiting and abusing Australian spectators (or people they suspected of being Australian).
My Australian hosts were obviously uncomfortable (as was I) with the profanity-laden and alcohol-fuelled antics of some of my countrymen, which created a tense and unfriendly atmosphere.
It detracted from the event and made me relieved to be able to get up and leave when the final whistle blew.
This was a real shame considering the quality of rugby on display.
Is this a common experience or was he just a little oversensitive and unlucky to have gotten in with the *wrong crowd*. What have other people's experiences of AB matches been like?
Vaughn is concerned, rightly so, that similar behavior at the RWC will bring NZ into widespread disrepute, which judging from some of the comments left by readers is a distinct possibility. The abuse isn't just reserved for Australian fans:
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Several years ago I had a very similar experience at Eden Park, although mine was at a one day match between the Black Caps and Pakistan. In spite of being in the ASB stand in an attempt to avoid such behaviour, I spent most of the day cringing as a number of Pakistani families including elderly women and young children had beer and food thrown at them, with a good dose of racial abuse to go with it.
I vowed never to go to another one day match again, such was my shame at the behaviour of fellow Kiwis.
But some countries do seem to suffer from them more.
Normally it wouldn't matter too much but NZ is about to host a major international sporting event and I want to know if it's safer(and cheaper) to stay home and watch it on TV.
Best we all stay home. To see even the most pointless match, lets say Burkina Faso vs Cambodia Im CERTAIN the ticket price must be about $800. Besides if we go out we will no doubt be mugged or car jacked by a meth addict on the way to the stadium, this crim will incidentally not be caught by the police. However if he is caught by the police the perp with happily stay in at her majesties pleasure in a beautiful palacial cell with harps and chandaliers eating croissant and baluga caviar. This is while all Kiwis are stuck in their damp wet run down falling down homes with blankets and hot water bottles on our knees because we cant afford heating anymore. Happy times.
Now come on really, hands up whos been a major sporting event? Ive been to a cricket match at the Gabba where I saw my compatriots hit a Kiwi guy with a hot chicken. Sounds kinda funny but the guy was badly burnt apparently, the beer they threw at him straight after would've soothed it except it missed him and got his kids. I went to a Spurs/Gunners match a few years ago in North London, they have to segregate the fans because of the aggro. The amount of venom afterwards in the street (in supposedly civilized UK) blew me away, some of those big fat tattooed guys are quite good at spitting, kicking and throwing punches. But nothing beats IMO a football match in the Balkans. Boys, if I took you to a football game back in Bulgaria you would cry like babies at the atrocities you saw. No one makes a big story about it though.
Best we all stay home. To see even the most pointless match, lets say Burkina Faso vs Cambodia Im CERTAIN the ticket price must be about $800. Besides if we go out we will no doubt be mugged or car jacked by a meth addict on the way to the stadium, this crim will incidentally not be caught by the police. However if he is caught by the police the perp with happily stay in at her majesties pleasure in a beautiful palacial cell with harps and chandaliers eating croissant and baluga caviar. This is while all Kiwis are stuck in their damp wet run down falling down homes with blankets and hot water bottles on our knees because we cant afford heating anymore. Happy times.
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Yes better stay home I say ...after all we are all too poor to afford the parking at the matches. Oops forgot ...our run-down cars would break down on the way...and wouldn't be able to buy the petrol for our old bangers anyway. Better stay home and share the neighbourhood TV, all huddled together in our cheap unattractive clothing; in our plywood shacks with water running down the walls and mould all over the place
Yes better stay home I say ...after all we are all too poor to afford the parking at the matches. Oops forgot ...our run-down cars would break down on the way...and wouldn't be able to buy the petrol for our old bangers anyway. Better stay home and share the neighbourhood TV, all huddled together, as we don't have any heating
Mate can I come over yours to watch the opening match? That would be awesome. I dont have a tv anymore, I get broken into every other week so no point having anything nice anymore lol. When I come up I can bring a big packet of chips from Pak n Save, they were 99c on special today so I brought 2 but this is still a bloody big rip off. I have a friend in Australia who earns $6000 a week pushing trolleys at Wollworths and he told me you can buy a packet of chips for only 50c. Hopefully when the benefit increases I will be able to afford a bottle of coke as well. Is that sweet with ya?
Mate can I come over yours to watch the opening match? That would be awesome. I dont have a tv anymore, I get broken into every other week so no point having anything nice anymore lol. When I come up I can bring a big packet of chips from Pak n Save, they were 99c on special today so I brought 2 but this is still a bloody big rip off. I have a friend in Australia who earns $6000 a week pushing trolleys at Wollworths and he told me you can buy a packet of chips for only 50c. Hopefully when the benefit increases I will be able to afford a bottle of coke as well. Is that sweet with ya?
HAHA sweet mate. I'll go get some HOT chips from the fish and chip shop to warm us up while we are huddled up together with the whole street. There wont be any fish though because we haven't been able to afford fish since 1998. We will all put 50 cents each into the kitty and go get some of the that cheap bourban on sale at Liquorland ..... can you remember to save the coke for this auspicious occasion so we can have a real treat.....Bourban and Coke.
This is going to be so exciting ...it's the first time I've done anything for five months because I never go anywhere anymore, too expensive
Mate can I come over yours to watch the opening match? That would be awesome. I dont have a tv anymore, I get broken into every other week so no point having anything nice anymore lol. When I come up I can bring a big packet of chips from Pak n Save, they were 99c on special today so I brought 2 but this is still a bloody big rip off. I have a friend in Australia who earns $6000 a week pushing trolleys at Wollworths and he told me you can buy a packet of chips for only 50c. Hopefully when the benefit increases I will be able to afford a bottle of coke as well. Is that sweet with ya?
You'll need to sell those F&P shares if you want a bottle of coke.
HAHA sweet mate. I'll go get some HOT chips from the fish and chip shop to warm us up while we are huddled up together with the whole street. There wont be any fish though because we haven't been able to afford fish since 1998. We will all put 50 cents each into the kitty and go get some of the that cheap bourban on sale at Liquorland ..... can you remember to save the coke for this auspicious occasion so we can have a real treat.....Bourban and Coke.
This is going to be so exciting ...it's the first time I've done anything for five months because I never go anywhere anymore, too expensive
You dont want to eat fish anymore. Havent you seen the state of our rivers!!!! But whoo bourbon! La-de-dah. Thats very posh! Usual I drink my lion brown, or whatever I can steal from the shops. So yeah cool man, I'll be there. I'll just try not to become a P addict before then. You know its bound to happen eventually though.
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Originally Posted by Geenie
You'll need to sell those F&P shares if you want a bottle of coke.
Cool! You DO have a sense of humour!
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Happy times.
You'll need to sell those F&P shares if you want a bottle of coke.